Week 12: Fantasy top 25 goalie rankings for 2017-18

Each week during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with an overview of the fantasy goaltender landscape. With production trends, injury news and top 25 rankings based on performance and upside in standard Yahoo leagues, fantasy owners should use this information as a basis for roster decision-making.

MORE FANTASY RANKINGS:
Top 100 forwards
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Top 50 defensemen

TRENDING UP

James Reimer, FLA (35 percent owned): Reimer made his 10th straight start for the Florida Panthers Thursday (29 saves in a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers) with Roberto Luongo on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury. Reimer has won four straight games and is 6-3-1 in his past 10. His GAA (3.10) is rather high, considering the recent success, but it shows how poorly he played earlier in the season. Reimer has raised his save percentage to .909, below his career average of .915. Backup Harri Sateri has yet to make his NHL debut, so Reimer should see the bulk of the starts until Luongo returns.
Cam Ward, CAR (23 percent owned): The Carolina Hurricanes are 6-1-0 in their past seven games and Ward has accounted for five of those wins without a loss. He started each of the past three games for Carolina and has allowed four goals. Ward quietly is putting together a nice season (9-2-1, 2.65 GAA, .914 SV%) in 13 starts after he was thought to be the clear backup for the first time in his career, following the Hurricanes signing Scott Darling (53 percent owned) to a four-year contract extension after acquiring him in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on April 28. Darling has made 23 starts, but has fewer wins (eight) than Ward and an uninspiring 2.87 GAA and .896 SV%. Darling, who has one win in his past seven starts, allowed eight goals on 36 shots in his previous game, an 8-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 19. For now, Carolina is going with the hot hand, and that has been Ward.
Tuukka Rask, BOS: In his past 12 starts, Rask is 9-1-1 with a 1.55 GAA and .944 SV% and has allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of those starts. Prior to that, the Boston Bruins goalie was 3-7-2 with a 2.90 GAA and .897 SV%. With his recent play, it wouldn't be a stretch for him to reach 30 wins (he has 12) for the fifth straight season. Backup Anton Khudobin (21 percent owned) made 31 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss against the Washington Capitals on Thursday and has been one of the better backups in the League this season, but with Rask playing as well as he is, may not get much of an opportunity to play.

TRENDING DOWN

Matt Murray, PIT:Expectations were high heading into the season after the 23-year old backstopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup in each of the past two seasons, and entered the year as the No. 1. However, the one knock on Murray in his young career had been his inability to stay healthy, which has been an issue again this season. Murray, who missed six games earlier this season with a lower-body injury, is day-to-day with another lower-body injury. He's 14-10-1 with a 2.94 GAA and .904 SV%, well below last season's totals (2.41 GAA, .923 SV%) and has as many regulation losses as he did all of last season, when he was 32-10-4. Murray has allowed three or more goals in 14 of his 27 starts and owners should consider trading him if they can. Backup Tristan Jarry (16 percent owned) is 5-2-2 with a 2.43 GAA and .918 SV% this season and should see an increase in ownership.
Alex Stalock, MIN (26 percent owned):Stalock went 5-4-0 with a .923 save percentage and one shutout for the Minnesota Wild with starter Devan Dubnyk (lower-body injury) out. For the season, Stalock is 7-7-1 with a 2.72 GAA and .915 SV%, but will now return to a backup role with Dubnyk healthy and expected to start against the Nashville Predators on Friday after dressing as the backup in a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Stalock likely can be dropped in most leagues, although he should be considered for those in need of a streaming option when he does start.
Ben Bishop, DAL: Taking out a 4-0 shutout win against the Chicago Blackhawks, Bishop, who has started the past five games for the Dallas Stars, has allowed 12 goals in four games, including at least three goals in the past three. He has yet to find a rhythm, and as a result, is 15-10-2 with a 2.67 GAA and .910 SV%. In three of the past four seasons, his GAA has been 2.32 or lower and his SV%.916 or higher, including three-straight 35-plus win seasons from 2013-16, a number he likely won't approach this season. Bishop's regression is concerning, because the Stars signed him to a six-year contract on May 12 and he was thought to be the answer to the goalie problems that have plagued them. Backup Kari Lehtonen (8 percent) had a successful run earlier in the season, but right now, neither Stars goalie is providing fantasy value.
Video: DAL@MIN: Bishop stops Spurgeon with his stick

TOP 25 GOALIE RANKINGS

Standard Yahoo categories include wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goaltenders. ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, team goaltender situations, anticipated start volume, projected goal support (or lack thereof), injury history, age, sleeper, bounce-back or breakout potential, potential regression, contract status and overall upside for this season. Any players with day-to-day injury concerns (DTD) are noted. NEW - INJ. indicates a player who has returned from injury and rejoined the rankings.
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (SAME)
2. Jonathan Quick, LAK (SAME)
3. Pekka Rinne, NSH (SAME)
4. Frederik Andersen, TOR (+1)
5. Tuukka Rask, BOS (+3)
6. Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (SAME)
7. Braden Holtby, WSH (SAME)
8. Devan Dubnyk, MIN (NEW - INJ.)
9. Jake Allen, STL (+2)
10. Carey Price, MTL (-1)
11. Cory Schneider, NJD (+1)
12. Marc-Andre Fleury, VGK (+2)
13. Matt Murray, PIT (DTD)
14. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (-1)
15. John Gibson, ANA (+1)
16. Mike Smith, CGY (+1)
17. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (+1)
18. Martin Jones, SJS (-3)
19. Cam Talbot, EDM (SAME)
20. Brian Elliott, PHI (SAME)
21. James Reimer, FLA (NEW)
22. Cam Ward, CAR (NEW)
23. Ben Bishop, DAL (-2)
24. Jaroslav Halak, NYI (NEW)
25. Carter Hutton, STL (SAME)
Dropped out: Alex Stalock, MIN; Ryan Miller, ANA; Aaron Dell, SJS
Key injuries: Corey Crawford, CHI (dropped out); Roberto Luongo, FLA; Oscar Dansk, VGK
READ: Last week's Top 25 goalie rankings